Marc Dumont
The mere fact that the Montreal Canadiens are one of the three remaining teams in the 2026 NHL Playoffs is rather encouraging.
Just a few years ago, it appeared that the team was set to dwell in the basement of the NHL standings, but a smart rebuild, combined with a solid draft, not to mention aggressive deals to overcome clear-cut weaknesses, has propelled them into the upper-echelon of hockey.
And yet, it’s quite clear there’s a lot of work left to be done before fans are satisfied with the Canadiens lineup.
Such is life when discussing the youngest team in the league.
The most exciting aspect of the rebuild is clearly the play of the first line.
Or more accurately, the play of the first line in the regular season.
Lane Hutson prevented a 1-2-3 finish in points (5v5), but suffice it to say Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky drove the charge during the regular season.
First Line In The Playoffs
The playoffs, however, are a completely different animal. Most teams have focused on shutting down Montreal’s star players, leading to a considerable downtick in production.
In fact, the only member of the first line who is currently among the top-10 point producers in the playoffs is Suzuki. Both Slafkovsky and Caufield have managed to generate just three points at 5v5.
Consequently, Alex Newhook, Phillip Danault, and Jake Evans have taken over as the team’s most productive forwards.
It’s an encouraging situation for the depth players, but a concerning result for the team.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
Even though the Canadiens are trailing the Hurricanes 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Final, hope should not be lost.
In the three games against the Hurricanes, the Habs were indeed outshot by a wide margin, but the first line has actually managed to set the tone at 5v5, a situation that did not occur in the series’ versus the Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning.
They’ve controlled the majority of the shots against the Hurricanes, resulting in an impressive 65% control of the expected goals.
At this point in the season, a solid process is not enough to ensure victory, but it does appear that the first line is finally ready to stretch its legs, similarly to how it carried the Montreal Canadiens throughout the regular season.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics and tables via Natural Stat Trick.
